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The $18 part that ate 6 hours of my Saturday on a bathroom rough-in
So I was roughing in a shower valve for a remodel in my own house and the whole thing should have been a 90 minute job. The valve body went in fine, I soldered the copper, no leaks. Then I went to screw on the trim plate and the plastic test cap that comes on the valve had cracked, so I ran to the supply house. They were out. I called two other places, one had it but it was 35 minutes each way. By the time I got back, the cap thread was cross threaded and I stripped it. What I want to argue about is this: is it better to buy the cheap plastic test cap and just deal with replacing it, or buy the metal one for 18 bucks that lasts forever but slows you down when you forget it? I wasted most of my day because I tried to save a 15 dollar trip and ended up making three. Some guys I know keep a bucket of spares on the truck and never think about it. Which side are you on, and how do you keep from doing the same dumb thing on a simple job?
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rayc941d ago
Keeping a coffee can of spare caps in the truck changed my life, dead serious. Ten cents each when you buy a bag of them and you never make that dumb drive again. The metal ones are nice but I always forget which job the good one is on.
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